Animals free to a good home...........

I suppose its good that instead of being neglected the iwners want to find a new home and the home is more important than money.

But it could encourage people to get pets without thinking it through properly and people could obuse it.
Like the story of people taking on free dogs then using them for fighting.
 
I have a FREE rabbit who lives in a big garden not in a cage
I have a FREE cat who I love to pieces and I have a FREE pony who I adore.

I sold a horse for a few thousand who is now in a rescue horse because of how the people I sold him to treated him.

Free or not its if they get into the wrong hands
 
The problem with horses is that they have a three digit meat value.

So an unscrupulous person could pick up a load of free horses, run them through an auction and make a tidy profit with very minimal effort. And we're not even talking criminal levels of unscrupulous like the dog fighting people.

And yes, it does happen, and not infrequently.

Being put down at home is surely better than a slaughter plant or being used as a bait dog??
 
thatsmygirl said:
I have a FREE rabbit who lives in a big garden not in a cage
I have a FREE cat who I love to pieces and I have a FREE pony who I adore.

I sold a horse for a few thousand who is now in a rescue horse because of how the people I sold him to treated him.

Free or not its if they get into the wrong hands
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Yes I have a pony that cost be a pound, I have 2 free rabbits....but that doesn't mean top say I would advertise any of them on a site, 'free to a good home' The point is dogs and cats are being picked up from these sorts of sites and pages, and used for baiting, people who do this aren't going to pay for an animal!
 
I'm actually a bit appalled by the reaction the page is getting - not by the page itself. There is NOTHING wrong with giving away an animal to a good home. Why in the world do you think it has to have a price on its head? It seems to me this person has created a page where she/he is trying to find good homes for animals that people (she/he?) cannot keep - but who do not feel the need to profit off of their sale. It's quite ridiculous to be screaming "it's going to get used as bait" as if there's no easy way to get an animal for that (like breed it yourself!) and as though there's an organised dog fight on every street corner (I live in London, never once seen such a thing actually happening - it's not a big thing in the UK, no matter how big a deal is made of it in the press). Cut this poor well-meaning person some slack... People are giving dogs away for free to good homes all over preloved and gumtree too... It's not like they are just being posted to their new families without a check (it is called "...free to GOOD homes"). And the few people asking on there, who aren't being put off by all the incredibly rude people commenting, seem pretty damn genuine. Someone asked if the dog is good with kids! Does that sounds like bait for a pitbull to you?

Saying that, of course it is absolutely irresponsible to get a dog or other animal and then give up on it. But I think better of people who are just looking for a good home than those who try to make money in the process...
 
Barnacle you have a very naive view on the world. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it's not as big as the media say. I'm well versed in dog fighting crime through my own research on it when I had my Staffordshire bull terrier stolen - and was shocked to find the largest ring in the country is in the town over from me. Yet still it's not "big" news in the local area. There is a reason it's kept quiet - it's illegal!
 
I didn't actually say *just* that equi. I made that statement to directly contrast with the idea that there is one on every street corner. If you look at the numbers in reports by the RSPCA, the BBC etc - all of whom are trying to make out that there's loads of dog fighting going on - they are based on phonecalls and complaints about youths discussing dog fights - and the number of instances where dogs were actually seen fighting (and this does not mean in an organised fight) are very low. I only found one case where someone was arrested who had appeared to have fighting dogs. And he didn't even have that many. Compared to the rings in the USA, this is nothing. Here it's all about macho status dogs - but not actual fighting.

But it's also only one very small point. Do you honestly think that Facebook page is a likely target for dog trainers looking for bait? I mean, really?

And does the person who set that page up, who is seemingly well meaning - do they deserve the abuse they are getting?
 
Free to Good home in the dog world will invariably end up with you being visited by more than one very convincing dog baiter, who have more than enough hassle stealing dogs, and would like to walk away with one for 20 minutes of banter, and yes Facebook is the perfect medium to do it, look at the number of people getting conned out of thousands for saddles and horse trailers on a daily basis, as your profile can be created and gone within a few days, and the police aren't interested. They dont deserve the outright abuse the are getting, but they do need to take a wake up call about the type of people who are likely to reply to this sort of add, who wouldnt normally go through a charity, or pick up an animal through word of mouth, and why they are in need of an animal that is free, if they can afford to look after one. And yes I know some of the charities home checks would rule most of us out, but it's perpetuating the problem. My sis once had a litter of EBT for sale, and by god did she have problems turning down 25 stone bouncers, and when one of the puppies turned out to be deaf I got him. The vet wanted to pts, it certainly couldn't be advertised FTGH, given the sort of people she was dealing with when they were for sale, but she had scruples. Many people dont.
 
Barnacle, yes I do believe facebook is a likely target for people looking for bait dogs, I think it's the perfect place, as orionstar said, how easy is it for them to get their hands on animals on these sites? No home checks, no money needing to change hands.........
 
Get a grip Barnacle....you've obviously never seen a dog with its face ripped off ...I work in a rescue centre and we are being brought these dogs in by police every week
 
No animal is actually free - it's upkeep and veterinary bills cost money, so if people are prepared to spend on that they should be prepared to pay a sum for the animal, however minimal. 'Free' openly invites the wrong sorts and if there are so many good homes out there, then why on earth are there animals abandoned left right and centre with rescues bursting at the seams?

I took in a feral cat which had kittens, no way on earth would I have advertised as free to a good home. I was prepared to give the to the right person, but that person had to want them enough to offer to pay in the first place.
 
DipseyDeb said:
Barnacle, yes I do believe facebook is a likely target for people looking for bait dogs, I think it's the perfect place, as orionstar said, how easy is it for them to get their hands on animals on these sites? No home checks, no money needing to change hands.........
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Exactly. It has been proven time and time again.
 
Barnacle, I'm another one who has taken in loads of FTGH over the years. Of my current herd of 11, 4 were free, and all but one of the rest were as good as. There are many, many good people who will take in an animal in need, but wouldn't want to pay money (for the previous bad owner to go get a new one, or to profit from the transaction?) for the privilege.
Ignore the cynics and keep your trust in human kindness.

"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world: everyone you meet is your mirror." –Ken Keyes Jr.
 
There's a further side to this that I'd not realised until recently: An acquaintance of mine managed to get hold of a rented farmhouse and moved in with her children. She then set about creating her very own retirement sanctuary with other people's unwanted horses and dogs plus a few assorted farm animals. The animals want for nothing, the vet, dentist, physio, farrier are all in constant attendance, she's had feed specialists out and all the animals have individual special diets, she's taken on more land to accommodate her animals and everything looks rosy. Until you realise that there's no money. No-one has been paid in full for months, including her landlord. Her children are now scruffy and hungry and not going to school and the word 'neglect' is being heard amongst those who know her better than I do. The animals are all still perfectly pampered but sooner or later the **** is going to hit the fan and not only will she and her children be evicted but so will all the animals. A number of the horses are on loan as companion only and presumably the owners will be getting a massive shock when they need to sort out alternative homes at short notice. Goodness knows what will happen to the ones that she got ftgh.
 
SpringArising said:
I'm another who's both given away animals for free and got them for free - shock horror.
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And I wish from the bottom of my heart this could work more frequently. But it doesn't. I would work with a rescue to find homes and keep the animals at home till this was sorted. There was a REVOLTING woman on here who took on horses...then sold them for meat. Fact is, you don't know who you are talking to. Of course there are some nice genuine people but knowing it is a risk...would you try to rehome like this?
 
Barnacle said:
Do you honestly think that Facebook page is a likely target for dog trainers looking for bait? I mean, really?
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YES!!! People who are willing to bait dogs, find horses free to good homes to then put through auctions or sell as meat money will see facebook as an easy and very accessible target! They are not stupid, they will know where people advertise, how to manipulate people, how to spin a story. In fact the most manipulative of people are often the most charming to your face!

There is always the other side of the coin and there are very genuine and very caring people out there who will do their utmost for animals and their pets. However do not be naïve in the ways of the world and that not everyone is as they seem.

Better to at least try and prevent another charity case than to open yourself up to (potential) abuse from those who are corrupt and manipulative. A wake up call to those who live in a fairytale is certainly not a bad thing at all, although people could act with a bit more kindness and discretion.
 
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pennyturner said:
Barnacle, I'm another one who has taken in loads of FTGH over the years. Of my current herd of 11, 4 were free, and all but one of the rest were as good as. There are many, many good people who will take in an animal in need, but wouldn't want to pay money (for the previous bad owner to go get a new one, or to profit from the transaction?) for the privilege.
Ignore the cynics and keep your trust in human kindness.QUOTE]

Of my current animals 7 were free - strays that turned up or through word of mouth from friends who I knew. I still would never ever advertise FTGH, nor do I ever sell my animals on. Basic common sense and knowing the way the world can work and how deceptive people can be means I won't risk my animals like that. It has nothing to do with being 'kind' thinking that everyone is an animals saviour, because quite frankly they aren't!
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Luci07 said:
I would work with a rescue to find homes and keep the animals at home till this was sorted. Of course there are some nice genuine people but knowing it is a risk...would you try to rehome like this?
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Yes I would. I have before in the past and I can't say that I won't in the future, should I need to for whatever reason.

Also, working with a rescue isn't a viable option really. Rescues only take on the worst cases - they don't have the space to take in well looked after pets who are simply in need of a new home (and that's me speaking from personal experience). Sending an otherwise healthy animal who is in good condition to a rescue just because it needs to find it a new home wouldn't sit right with me anyway. If I can find someone who is looking for what I have, and can offer a good home, then I will 100% give it away for free. Charging someone fifty quid to put in my own pocket isn't a guarantee that they're going to go somewhere better.

Everyone knows that there are crappy people out there, but I'm not going to have an animal put the sleep because maybe, just maybe, it will end up somewhere horrible. All animals are capable of sharing the same fate, whether they're worth nothing or £200,000.
 
^^hear hear^^

Plenty of valuable horses are abused etc. A certain well-known showjumper in the north of england used to have a very high turnover of well-bred, talented horses who just couldn't take the beatings.

At least with FTGH the owner has lower expectations, and no need to extract 'value' from the poor beast.
 
pennyturner said:
^^hear hear^^

Plenty of valuable horses are abused etc. A certain well-known showjumper in the north of england used to have a very high turnover of well-bred, talented horses who just couldn't take the beatings.

At least with FTGH the owner has lower expectations, and no need to extract 'value' from the poor beast.
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Totally agree, I stable with a girl who beats hers as per the thread I started about her a while ago she paid a few amount for each horse and iv seen her whip them across the face and whip their legs until they go down on the yard because they trip and don't pick their feet up, there were prob somebody's pride and joy at some point who would be heart broken to see how they are treated and I also know others locally who aren't looked after and in fact the RSPCA are involved but again a fair price was paid for those animals as was the one I sold who ended up in the wrong home, also know FTGH horses who have a life of luxury.

I will stick by my comment that it makes no difference on price at all its the home that's found!
 
SpringArising said:
Yes I would. I have before in the past and I can't say that I won't in the future, should I need to for whatever reason.

Also, working with a rescue isn't a viable option really. Rescues only take on the worst cases - they don't have the space to take in well looked after pets who are simply in need of a new home (and that's me speaking from personal experience). Sending an otherwise healthy animal who is in good condition to a rescue just because it needs to find it a new home wouldn't sit right with me anyway. If I can find someone who is looking for what I have, and can offer a good home, then I will 100% give it away for free. Charging someone fifty quid to put in my own pocket isn't a guarantee that they're going to go somewhere better.

Everyone knows that there are crappy people out there, but I'm not going to have an animal put the sleep because maybe, just maybe, it will end up somewhere horrible. All animals are capable of sharing the same fate, whether they're worth nothing or £200,000.
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We will have to agree to disagree. I do help welfare in a small way and have seen the smaller rescues will help if the owner will keep their dogs at home while hunting for a new owner.
 
Yes, all horses are open to a bad fate. However, having some sort of value on the horse means you won't get the ones who sell them immediately for meat. Which is not unusual - I mean we had someone on this very forum doing exactly that, and look at the number of horses that go missing whilst on loan, especially companion types. And it's funny how these unregistered 'rescues' so often end up being the neglectful homes!

I would perhaps consider it through word of mouth if someone I knew wanted a companion or could perhaps deal with issues I could not, but an ad online? Just seems a terrible idea.

I guess if a horse has NO monetary value, you have to ask yourself why. Is it old/lame/mentally unstable? Even you, who has some sort of attachment to the animal, wants rid, so who in their right mind would want it?
 
Pigeon said:
I guess if a horse has NO monetary value, you have to ask yourself why. Is it old/lame/mentally unstable? Even you, who has some sort of attachment to the animal, wants rid, so who in their right mind would want it?
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It's not always about just wanting rid though. I've never sold a horse because I just don't fancy looking after it anymore.

Circumstances can change, and I could put a spin on your question and say 'I've loved this horse for X amount of years and have cared well for him or her, so why wouldn't someone else?'.
 
I would never give any of my horses away ftgh, saying that I would never sell either. All mine stay with me until the day they die. Something I feel strongly about but realise how lucky I am to be able to keep them. A friend of mine did take on a horse belonging to another friend but she knew the horse had been difficult and was prepared to try and do something with the mare but was also willing to keep her as a field ornament if riding her turned out not to be an option. Both parties were very happy with the outcome and although the mare has proved unsuitable she has a home for life. Unfortunately there are more horses looking for forever homes than people able to take them which gives the unscrupulous opportunity to take advantage and there in lies the problem. Better to be safe than sorry and not advertise ftgh but ask people you know if they know of anybody who might re home the animal, that's what happened with my friend and I was able to introduce them. Always better to know where the animal is going, it may not guarantee the outcome but gives the animal a better chance.
 
I got Fatty free he was very sick and he was recommend for PTS by the two specialists appointed by the owners insurers .
He was subject of a LOU claim and given to me .
I had the space time and the back up and the money to take him on as no one knew if he could recover, he did and is now having a great life .
I have just got too cats FTAGH , lovely cats much loved but they hate children and the family now have a toddler and baby twins there's no reason to soldier on if you can find a good solution .
But you need to be realistic and careful and I am not sure that selling something ensures the outcome at the end is any better .
I did not know fatties owner his issue was discovered on vetting when we wanted to buy him he came on trial and his owner came to meet the vets when the issue was discovered loved our set up and offered him to us .
She had not got the facilities or time to deal with him .
He'll be here for life .
 
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